Archives for November 2012

I love shopping in little boutiques and arts and crafts fairs, but life with little ones means that I’m generally happiest shopping in my PJ’s, away from the crowds, while dropping items in the virtual shopping carts of some of my favorite online shops.

My Art.com Gift Guide

Have you ever given or received the gift of art? Just last week I opened my mailbox to find a surprise care package of art from my bestie in L.A. My heart fluttered and I hung it up right away. One of the best things about the gift of art is that it can come straight from the heart.

Maybe you’d love to give art as a gift, but you don’t know where to shop, or maybe you’re like me and you don’t have endless hours to putter around artist studios. To help you out, I put together seven Art.com Gift Guides as a bit of inspiration. If you see something here that you like, click over to my Gift Guide Galleries, place your order, and your art will arrive in time for the holidays. You could also visit Art.com and browse their ginormous selection of prints. I own a few pieces from Art.com and can vouch for the fast shipping and high quality of the prints and frames.

Bonus: Get 20% off if you place an order now through November 29, 2012 with the code: NJWQ87

Are you looking for a meaningful process-oriented art project to do with the kids this winter? I have an answer for you with this snowflake collage activity for kids.

Have you made snowflakes with your child? Once you get started, making snowflakes can be completely addicting. Last year, when my older daughter was three, we made PILES of snowflakes and this year she turned into a snowflake-making machine about a week before Thanksgiving. The good news for us Californians is that we’ll be knee-deep in snow by December at this rate!

Snowflake Collage Activity for Kids

Step 1: Cut Snowflakes

There are lots of ways to make paper snowflakes, and my favorite tutorial for easy, good looking snowflakes can be found by Maya over at Maya Made. This also happens to be a favorite blog of mine, and you’ll probably enjoy getting lost in the images of her gorgeous farmhouse and handmade loveliness.

Step 2: Lay them out over a sheet of card stock

4-year old N set hers out on top of two sheets of card stock that she taped together.

Step 3: Get your Mod Podge and Palette Knife ready

I spread a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the paper to which N deftly attached each snowflake. She was in charge of the layout, which included some beautiful layering of colors. After she placed the snowflake, I added a little more Mod Podge to seal it in place.

Watered down white glue will also work if you don’t have Mod Podge, but I’d encourage you to invest in some because it works so well for all sorts of collage activities.

Step 4: Keep making snowflakes until you’re done

Step 5: If your dad’s birthday is coming up, turn it into a gift 🙂

Or, proudly hang your masterpiece and welcome in the winter season.

It’s all about the process

Like all the projects on this site, I hope you’ll take this inspiration and run with it in your own direction. Or better yet, your child will take it in his or her own direction. Happy exploring!

Young children are full of their own ideas, confidence, and enthusiasm for the new. As much as we hope they’ll retain this strong sense of self, as they get older it’s possible that their confidence can diminish with the influence of peers or self-doubt that comes from not being able to bounce back from failure.

I wrote a post about Six Tools for Building a Child’s Confidenceand share three more with you today not as doctrine but as inspiration. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this — what tools do you think are important for building a child’s confidence?

Tool #1: Trust.

Children put an enormous amount of stock into what their parents or teachers think, and it’s our role to show them that we believe in them.

My 4-year old loves, loves, loves my sewing machine. I don’t let her use it unsupervised, but when she does use the machine all I do is help her guide the fabric. She presses the pedal, lifts the foot, and cuts the thread. The same can be said for the hot glue gun, electric mixer and cooking at the stove. We don’t do these things all the time, but I try to find ways to build these moments of trust into our days together.

Tool #2: Iteration

For a child to truly understand how things work, he or she needs to test it out multiple times and in various ways. Think of the child who just learned to write his name and how he’ll write it in various sizes, on different kinds of paper, vertically and horizontally, all in an effort to understand the written word and his particular place in the world.

In this image taken of my daughter last year, she was painting with watercolors. She paints with watercolors frequently and had experimented with brush painting, dipping paper in the paint, and squeezing paint with droppers. On this day, she wanted to see test the results of blowing paint with two different straws. One worked far better than the other, and she only figured this out because we dedicated time to iteration.

Tool #3: Tinker

Pulling things apart to undertand how they work helps children grasp the bigger picture of the world around them. We had an old monitor that was scheduled for a trip to the dump, and decided to pull it apart (carefully) so that my daughter could get a close look at some circuit boards and wires that live behind the computer. Another, safer, way to go about this is to give children some small tools and an old clock, and a fair amount of time to take it all apart.

From the article: “Ensuring that students can become creative thinkers involves an element that’s often overlooked: arts and design. Experience with the arts increases our ability to think outside the box and helps develop the part of the brain that creates innovative ideas and strategies.”

From the article: “Saying thank you to a student is great modeling. If you start thanking kids for their effort, they’ll start to thank you and thank others for the work they do each and every day. If we want our kids to appreciate the hard work we put into each lesson, what better way is there than starting to appreciate and thank them for the hard work they put into each lesson?”

Have you seen this colorful paper tape at Target? It’s from the Kid Made Modern line and you can find it in the art supply section. I’m not an affiliate — just a happy customer.

It’s not washi tape, in case you’re wondering. Washi tape is traditionally made from rice paper and has a transparent quality to it. This tape is fairly heavy; I think you can tell from this photo that it’s got some body to it, which makes it easy for little hands to manipulate.

The tape comes on a long cardboard roll, so I fashioned a make-shift tape dispenser from PVC pipe and connectors that came with our Fort Magic kit and it works like a charm at keeping it organized on the table.

After watching my children use this fancy tape for a couple months I’ve come to see it as the love child of stickers and wrapping paper. It’s useful for adhering one thing to another, but my kids mostly use it as a form of decoration.

My 4-year old likes to cut her own pieces of tape and focused closely on building coordinated horizontal lines across the paper.

Oh, that and covering her fingers with tape.

My 2-year old is barely getting the hang of cutting (we practice a lot, and I recommend cutting playdough if it’s something you’re working on too), so I pre-cut lots of pieces for her to tape at will. She spent the whole time piling one piece of tape on top of another.

Remember, it’s the process, people, not the product!

I also pulled out our office supply store dot and garage sale-style stickers, which 2-year old R added to her tape pile.

This is my 2-year old’s completed piece, which is wildly different from my 4-year old’s interpretation of the materials…

So, what’s your design material du jour?

Since this colorful tape bonanza, we’ve moved on to clear Scotch tape, a new stash of stickers, mylar, and alphabet stencils.

I recently got my hands on Sarah’s hot-off-the-press book, which is packed with 25 magical projects that are as much inspired by the author’s own rich childhood as they are by her experience as an exhibit designer at the Field Museum of Natural History, and I have to tell you…it’s beautiful.

But beyond aesthetics, Sarah says, “these projects are not about what is produced in the end (although that part is fun too); they are about the process of getting there.” Ahhh, this makes me happy.

Guess what? Today is the Tinkerlab stop on the IMAGINE CHILDHOOD: Exploring the World Through Nature, Imagination, and Play book-blog tour, and I’m thrilled to welcome Sarah into our little corner of the web for a cozy little interview.

Here are the other stops if you’d like to soak up more Imagine Childhood inspiration while tapping into some other great blogs:

Readers will have the opportunity to win one a copy of Sarah’s book at the end of this interview.

Rachelle: Welcome, Sarah! I’m so glad that you’re here. You describe the journey your book takes as “chasing the magic of childhood.” Can you tell us about your childhood, and a little bit about the magic you remember from it?

Sarah: That’s a hard question to answer succinctly because so many of those magical moments existed outside of the world of words. They were feelings and experiences, milliseconds of expansion in the midst of the beauty and chaos of everyday family life. My childhood was a typical one. I come from a big family, so we were wild, rambunctious, loud, and loving like any house full of people, dogs, cats, birds and rabbits would be. There was always something going on at any given moment, and while we didn’t have many “big” adventures, at the end of every day there was definitely a story to tell.

I don’t think I “remember” the magic of my childhood as much as I feel it. I feel it when I’m wandering in the woods by myself and I can hear the sound of leaves shifting over my head. I feel it when I learn something new that completely changes the way I understand the world. I feel it when I let go and drift totally and completely into the moment. I feel it when I allow myself to play.

Rachelle: You write in your book about the close relationship you have with your family. I’m always interested in hearing how parents can help shape their child’s experiences. Will you share a story about how your mom encouraged your creativity to flourish?

Sarah: Growing up, my mother trusted me to figure things out in my own time. She had a way of always being there without having to be right there. I can’t imagine how many hours she spent watching all of us kids from a distance, close enough to comfort or help if that was what the situation required, but far enough away so that we felt empowered by the freedom of exploration. Whether I was running around in the woods making forts, digging up the backyard to make a giant mud pit with my brother, or just reading stories in my room, I felt like an adventurer.

Even though she was always there the moment I needed her, my mom stood back just enough to let me feel like no one was watching. In that bubble of my own little world, I could test things out, I could make mistakes, and I could make discoveries. Those are the experiences that cultivated my creative spirit. They taught me to trust in my intuition and to never fear failure, because that’s where you learn all of the really good stuff.

Rachelle: Ah, that makes me feel like I’m on the right track! Fostering independence and seeing failure as an opportunity for growth frame my own parenting philosophy. Can you tell us about a favorite project from your book and how it exemplifies your point of view?

Sarah: It’s difficult to choose a favorite because each project comes from a different place and sparks a different emotion in me. But I guess if I had to pick one for today I would choose the Rube Goldberg activity. I’m a school nerd at heart so the physics component of putting one of these chain reactions together appeals to that side of me, but I also love how they put emphasis on the process rather than the result. Since the “success” of one of these types of activities requires a lot of trial and error, the fun often comes from figuring things out and laughing (a lot) when they don’t work as planned. I think this activity lends particularly well to the spirit of IMAGINE CHILDHOOD for that exact reason.

While there are many projects and tutorials throughout its pages, this book is more about experience than outcome. It’s about the conversations that happen while making things together. It’s about getting to know the world inch by inch. It’s about exploring imaginary universes and running through real forests. It’s about living in childhood . . . regardless of your actual age. This book is about being a kid.

Rachelle: What’s your next big project?

Sarah: Right now, apart from sharing the IMAGINE CHILDHDOOD book, I’m also working hard in the Imagine Childhood shop. As we move into our 5th holiday season, we’re putting the final touches on our new gift guide (packed with our favorite children’s goods as well as lots of free seasonal recipes and crafts) and preparing everything for the busy days ahead. We have some great new things this year that I can’t wait to share 🙂

Rachelle: I’m so glad that you mentioned your shop! I got absolutely lost poking around over there and would highly recommend it to all of my readers. I would feel lucky to call any of the materials and kits on your site mine — they are just beautifully curated. Thanks for talking with me today, Sarah!

Sarah: Thanks so much for having me over to your beautiful space!

Sarah Olmsted grew up in Colorado and spent much of her time exploring art, science, and the nearby foothills and mountains. After receiving a bachelor of fine arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute, she spent some time as a freelance children’s furniture designer/fabricator, which eventually led her to the Field Museum of Natural History. There she worked in exhibit design, developing interactive educational activities for permanent and traveling exhibitions before moving on to cofound imaginechildhood.com in 2008.

Giveaway

One copy of Sarah’s book, Imagine Childhood, will be given away to a lucky reader. To enter for your chance to win, click on the Rafflecopter giveaway. This is open to U.S. addresses only.

I’m always happy to land on fun art games that entertain my children and help their brains develop. I originally blogged about these handmade art dice last Spring, and thought you might like to see how this popular tool is getting used by 2-year old daughter #2.

I started with a set of blank wooden blocks. If you don’t have wood blocks, you could make your own by folding paper into a cube shape. I’ll include a link to a template that you can print at the end of this post.

My toddler gathered a set of art dice, markers, and a sheet of paper, and then decided to cozy up in my bed with one of those funny lap pillow-tables. I didn’t tell her what to do, so I can only assume that she’s seen her sister use these dice before when she turned the die to orange, selected an orange marker, and then proceeded to make an orange circle.

One of the dice is covered with a variety of lines, and we practiced making long lines, short lines, wavy lines, and zig-zag lines.

And then she returned to work on color.

The part that I enjoyed the most was watching her engage in this self-directed activity for close to twenty minutes. Every now and then she’d invite me to draw with her or ask me the name of a color, but for the most part little R was engaged with making connections between the images on the dice and what came out of her pen.

I first did this with my older daughter when she was two, and at four, we still use these every now and then. I use them too as a way to jog my imagination when I’m in a drawing rut. And my 4-year old and I will use them together to make collaborative drawings. Check out the original Art Dice articlefor more game ideas.

If you make your own art dice (they make great gifts!) and give ’em a spin, I’d love to hear about how it goes for you. Here are a few inspiring links from a couple of my readers…

Art Games: More Art Dice Inspiration

In this post, Heather, Vice President of the University of Victoria Art Education Student Association created paper templates that you can simply print, cut, and glue. Easy peasy. Thanks Heather!! Color,Line,Shape

Jean at the Artful Parent is also a fan of art games. Here are a few of my favorites from her site:

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In case you blinked and missed it, TinkerLab rounds up all the great stuff on the internets on keeping you and your critters creative and wraps it up for you in a tidy newsletter! (And throws in some secret giveaways for good measure!) – Yuliya P., San Francisco, CA

We love homemade gifts, so when Kiwi Crate recently asked me if my 4-year old would like to try one of the newest Holiday crates from their Celebration Shop, guess what I said? Yes please!

We’re giving away three of these Holiday Crates, and you’ll have a chance to win one at the end of this post!

They sent us a crate called Gifts Made by Me, and given the quality of this crate, I’m sure that the other two holiday crates, Crafty Christmas and Handmade Hanukkah, are just as fabulous.

As you probably know, I’m a DIY gal and rarely gravitate to pre-packaged activities. But here’s the difference with Kiwi Crate: although the package everything up for the busy parent, they don’t skimp on the quality of the materials and the projects in this crate value the process as much as the product.

But this isn’t just my opinion…my 4-year old worked on these gifts for three days and kept talking about them. We work on a lot of homemade projects in our home, and her engagement with this crate speaks volumes of the how thoughtfully these materials were assembled.

When the package arrived, N was itching to rip it open. I had a plan in my mind that we’d save it for later in the week, but I had a hard time curbing her enthusiasm. I told her that we could open the crate, look it over, and then save it for the next day. That sort of backfired because opening the crate only got her more excited.

She quickly assessed that the crate contained materials for making homemade gifts (two high quality notebooks that she would make prints for, plus all the wrapping materials we’d need)– which she already decided were destined for her grandparents, and we were off to the races.

The first thing we did was set up a mini-printing studio, and Kiwi Crate sent all the materials to make this successful and mitigate the mess.

I appreciated this because printmaking, when done right (with real printing inks, as included in the crate), can be a huge mess. Instead, it was all contained on the craft paper, cotton swabs, brayer, and thin sheet of plastic that we taped to the paper. It was a clever set-up that I’ll be sure to replicate next time we pull out the ink and brayers.

The crate also came with a really nice brayer (the tool you see back there that rolls the ink onto the plate), which I’m excited to add to our brayer collection.

I only had a couple issues with the crate, but they’re not deal-breakers. The ink took a few days to dry, which I’d attest to the summery weather we’ve been having. And the snowflake stickers that we used to make our own stamps didn’t hold their shape too well. But my 4-year old didn’t mind one bit, and the smudginess of our snowflakes added to the homemade charm of her gifts.

When she was done, she created two notebooks, two cards, and hand-printed ribbon. Gorgeous!

The best part? It’s only the beginning of November and my 4-year old already made her grandparents their holiday gifts: homemade notebooks that she’s proud of.

Enter the Giveaway

Kiwi Crate is giving away 3 Crates like the one I reviewed: Gifts Made By Me. Prizes can only be shipped to U.S. mailing addresses. The contest will close on November 18, 2012 at 11:59 EST. a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’m an advisor to Kiwi Crate and they sent me a free crate to review, but all opinions in this review are my own. This post may also contain affiliate links.